We-Empower is proud to announce Dr Mushtaq Memon, Vice President-Livestock at We-Empower is selected as Fulbright Specialist for a tenure of three years by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and World Learning. This is Dr. Memon’s 2nd Fulbright Specialist assignment and the 1st after his retirement in 2016 from Washington State University (WSU).
“Fulbright is the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world, supported for more than half a century by the American people through an annual appropriation from the US Congress and by the people of partner nations.
The Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP) allows overseas universities, cultural centers, non-governmental organizations and other institutions abroad to develop collaborative projects which host a leading U.S. academic or professional at their institution to work on diverse, short-term collaborative projects focused on education and training”. https://fulbrightspecialist.worldlearning.org/eligibility-specialists/
Dr. Memon’s life-long goal of Serving Humanity aligns well with Fulbright’s mission to enhance global peace and harmony with education and mutual understanding of cultures and people. His long term involvement in Fulbright programs started with his Fulbright Scholar assignment in 2005 to teach and conduct research at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman (Fig 1).
Based upon Dr. Memon’s accomplishments, he was selected to serve as Fulbright Ambassador.
Fig 1. Dr Mushtaq Memon teaching students at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman as a Fulbright Scholar during 2005-06
Fig 2. As a Fulbright Ambassador, Dr Mushtaq Memon delivered presentation and participated in panel discussion about the Fulbright program at University of Utah, Salt Lake City in 2014
As the first veterinarian selected for this honor, he visited numerous US colleges and university campuses to promote the Fulbright program (Fig 2). As an Ambassador, he was instrumental in starting Fulbright Academy at WSU, a platform for Fulbright scholars and students to exchange their experiences and encourage others to apply for the scholarship.
As an impact of the Academy’s efforts, WSU became the top producer of the 2019-2020 Fulbright US Scholars, and this was accomplished the first time in WSU history (WSU News Feb 10, 2020).
During his first Fulbright Specialist assignment to the United Arab Emirates in 2013, Dr Memon assisted Higher Colleges of Technology in determining the need for establishing a new veterinary program in the country (Fig 3).
The following year (2014), Dr Memon introduced the veterinary business curriculum at the University of Agriculture (UAF), Faisalabad, Pakistan. During a series of presentations at UAF, Dr. Memon arranged a virtual conference (Fig 4) between veterinary students at UAF and their counterpart students at WSU to discuss the veterinary business courses and related activities.
The veterinary students at UAF were very interested (Fig 5) in learning the veterinary business concepts to become entrepreneurs after their graduation, as the current curriculum at UAF is designed to educate students for government employment.
The 1st Fulbright Specialist assignment for Dr Memon will be to assist University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, Pakistan to become accredited by the American Veterinary Medicine Council on Education.
UVAS is the oldest veterinary institution in the Indian subcontinent established in 1882, and its accreditation would boost the standards of veterinary education in the country and help in food security of Pakistan. The assignment would start after the current covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted by the US Department of State.
Fig 3. Dr Memon (middle in grey jacket) with faculty and administrators of the Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates during his first Fulbright Specialist assignment in 2013 to assist in determining the need for establishing a new veterinary program in the country
Fig 4. Virtual conference between veterinary students at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, and their counterpart students at Washington State University was arranged to discuss the veterinary business courses and related veterinary activities
Fig 5. Veterinary students with Dr. Memon (center in white jacket) and Dr. Zafar Iqbal (in brown jacket next to Dr Memon), Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan